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Quote of the Day 20080416

“It is not what we read, but what we remember that makes us learned. It is not what we intend but what we do that makes us useful. And, it is not a few faint wishes but a lifelong struggle that makes us valiant.” — Henry Ward Beecher 1813 – 1887, American Preacher, Orator, Writer

I had a discussion with my wife just the other day about how it’s not really what we don’t know that holds us back, it is not doing what we know to do. For example, how many times have you hear to pay yourself first? That at least the first 10% of what you earn is yours to keep, put it aside and don’t touch it and you will grow rich over time? It’s very simple, but obviously not something we do very well in the USA since we currently have a negative savings rate.

How many of us eat the health foods we know to eat? How many times have you seen the food pyramid? We know what the proper foods to eat, it’s just seems more convenient to pull into McDonald’s or the fast food restaurant of your choice. How many of us exercise for at least 30 minutes a day or get in at least 10,000 steps a day as the Surgeon General has recommended to promote health and longevity?

Now if we could really plead ignorance, it might be a different matter but we can’t. There have been more books published on diet, exercise, personal finance, relationships, etc. than ever before. Most of them are in a library, so you don’t even have to pay to read them. The key is not just to read them, but to apply what you read. The Slight Edge. Simple disciplines or simple errors in judgment.